Inside The Cardinals

Mets Ace Kodai Senga Extends Videogame-Like Streak As Cardinals Fall To 1-8 On Road

St. Louis needs to start winning some away games
Nate Hagerty|
Aug 7, 2023; New York City, New York, USA; New York Mets starting pitcher Kodai Senga (34) delivers a pitch during the first inning against the Chicago Cubs at Citi Field. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images
Aug 7, 2023; New York City, New York, USA; New York Mets starting pitcher Kodai Senga (34) delivers a pitch during the first inning against the Chicago Cubs at Citi Field. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images | Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

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St. Louis CardinalsNew York Mets

Although the St. Louis Cardinals' offense has been one of the league's most productive throughout the 2025 season, they stood no match against New York Mets ace Kodai Senga on Saturday.

Senga and the Mets' bullpen silenced the Cardinals' red-hot lineup Saturday, winning 3-0 and claiming their third consecutive victory over St. Louis as they look to sweep the 11-time World Series champions in the finale of a four-game series Sunday afternoon.

The Japanese hurler's remarkable streak after missing most of his 2024 campaign due to injuries is incredible. Unfortunately, Senga helped terminate a Cardinals slugger's impressive sequence to start the season while lowering St. Louis' concerning road record.

"Kodai Senga extended his scoreless streak to 19 innings, Pete Alonso homered and the New York Mets beat the St. Louis Cardinals for the third straight day, 3-0 on Saturday," ESPN reported through the Associated Press shortly after the Cardinals-Mets game ended on Saturday. "Senga (3-1) gave up three hits and two walks in 5 2/3 innings with four strikeouts, lowering his ERA to 0.79," the AP continued. "St. Louis dropped to 1-8 on the road. Brendan Donovan went 0 for 4, stopping his career-long 14-game hitting streak. Donovan was robbed of a hit in the fourth, when Mark Vientos made a leaping grab at third base."

Senga has logged a mind-boggling 3-1 record with a 0.79 ERA, 20-to-7 strikeout-to-walk ratio, .190 batting average against and a 0.97 WHIP in 22 2/3 innings pitched across four starts for the Mets this season.

Overcoming the 32-year-old starter's bag of tricks including his signature "ghost forkball" pitch proved to be a challenge the youth-laden Cardinals lineup wasn't prepared to defeat.

Even Donovan, who is tied for the second-most hits (30) with Arizona Diamondbacks phenom Corbin Carroll -- trailing New York Yankees two-time American League MVP Aaron Judge by one -- couldn't find a way to get things going for the Cardinals' offense against Senga.

Although the Cardinals were shutout 2-0 by the Houston Astros on Tuesday, Apr. 15, Saturday's loss to Senga and the Mets was their worst of 2025. Hopefully, St. Louis will avoid being swept by defeating New York on Sunday and be more prepared when the National League East foe returns to Busch Stadium for a three-game series from May 2 to May 4, two weeks from now.

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Nate Hagerty
NATE HAGERTY

Nate Hagerty joined “Inside The Cardinals” as a content creator to spread knowledge about his favorite childhood team. A hometown native of Boston, Hagerty chose at an early age of six years old to follow the St. Louis Cardinals. The miraculous season of 04’ for the Red Sox did not deter Hagerty from rooting against his hometown team, nor did it in 2013 against the Red Birds. For all business/marketing inquiries regarding Inside The Cardinals, please reach out to Scott Neville: nevilles@merrimack.edu 

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